A medical device (e.g., a pulse oximeter, an electrocardiograph, etc.) may require a data processing capability to operate (e.g., processing power, random access memory, non-volatile memory, and input/output resources, etc.). For example, the medical device may require a processor to analyze measurements, a memory to store data, a display to show data, a keyboard to receive input commands, and/or a printer to output readings.
A manufacturer of the medical device may include the data processing capability integrated into the medical device. Sometimes, the manufacturer may create interfaces between the medical device and customized data processing systems designed for the medical device. By including the data processing capability with the medical device, costs of the medical device may increase. Furthermore, when the medical device is no longer used (e.g., obsolete, component broken, etc.), the data processing capability of the medical device may be wasted (e.g., because the data processing capability may be designed for and/or integrated with the medical device).
An organization (e.g., a company, a non-profit agency, a government, etc.) may provide (e.g., sell, donate, etc.) an application-optimized data processing system (e.g., a One-Laptop-Per-Child computer, an Intel® Classmate PC®, an ASUS Eee PC®, etc.) to individuals in need (e.g., children in a developing country). To save costs and resources, the application-optimized data processing system may include hardware components (e.g., a microprocessor, memory, a display, I/O devices, etc.) and software (e.g., an operating system) that are optimized for a particular type of application (e.g., word processing, education, etc.).
The operating system of the application-optimized data processing system may be developed for non-medical applications. In addition, the operating system of the application-optimized data processing system may not be reliable (e.g., may be susceptible to freezing, may perform functions not required for medical purposes, etc.).